In this closely fought midterm election campaign, the small town of Springfield, Ohio, has become a symbol of modern America. But it is a symbol that changes dramatically depending on who is describing it. To President Donald Trump, Springfield crystallises America's problems due to years of unchecked immigration.
He once echoed a false claim that Haitian immigrants were eating pets here. Today, he says his mass deportation drive means its people are "getting their town back". But to others, Springfield represents a well-known cycle in the story of modern America.
The decline of traditional industry, followed by a spike in immigration fuelled by cheap housing and low-paid labour. It is a familiar tale across the country. This story contains some distressing details Pierre Damas Bel, 20, arrived in Springfield to join his father and stepmother in 2024.
He fled his native Haiti, which was gripped by political instability and gang warfare. He entered the US with the government's permission under a now-defunct Biden-era programme for migrants waiting in Mexico. Bel, according to a family friend, then received a humanitarian protection called Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which gives vetted individuals the right to live and work in the United States.
TPS usually lasts 18 months but is routinely rolled over, often for years, if the danger remains in the affected country. Bel aspired to build a life in America, the friend said. He was an honours student, talented athlete and cadet in a high school programme training students to become officers in the US Armed Forces.
But in June, the Supreme Court upheld the Trump administration's decision to end TPS for some 350,000 Haitians in the US. Bel was told to report to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office where he was fitted with an ankle monitor which is used to track migrants facing deportation. He wrote on Instagram that he felt "shame and humiliation" at having to wear the tag.
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